Battleship Musashi in Philippines

[octotat]

The following is a post I've had under the wreck diving site with little response. Maybe someone cruising this area can help me.

Does anyone know if the Japanese battleship Musashi has been located and or dived since her sinking in WWII? I can't locate any information about whether she is being dived or not. She was sunk in WWII in the Battle of Leyte Gulf, in the more specific battle of Sibuyan Sea. I can find lots of info on her sinking but none on her final resting place. The Musashi was sister ship of the Yamato, the largest battleships ever built with 18 inch guns. I visit the region every two or three years and this would be an ultimate dive for me

 

[Scuby Dooby]

I haven’t heard of the ship by name but I have heard people talk about ships that were sunk during the battle of Leyte. From what I remember it is generally believed that these ships are in very deep water, not sure if any have actually been located.

One place that you could search further would be through Vascos dive shop in Subic Bay. It is owned by a guy named Brian Homan and they have been involved in many different archaeological / salvage operations in the Philippines. If it is know where this ship actually lies I’ll bet that these guys would have the info, as to whether they will tell YOU, well that might be a different story . . .

Good Luck!

 

[octotat]

Scuby Doo, good call on that one. Brian would be an excellent source of info on this. I've dove with Vascoes many times. I'll try to dig up their email. If anybody knows, he would (if not he would know who knows). As an aside, if anybody wants to dive some wrecks in Subic Bay, look up Vascos, good diving , good food, they now have rooms for rent, and an awesome little museum of artifacts.

 

[pacific_explorer]

Hi guys,
some time ago I was in contact with Robert Ballard. He is preparing expedition to western pacific to locate Musashi and also WW2 "nuke" cruiser USS Indianapolis.
According him, wreck of Musashi should be at 13° 07' 01" North, 122° 31' 59" East, off the Bondoc Peninsula, in 4,430 feet (1,350 m) of water. So any questions regarding diving Musashi should be forgotten :O)

 

[shugar]

Hi guys,
some time ago I was in contact with Robert Ballard. He is preparing expedition to western pacific to locate Musashi and also WW2 "nuke" cruiser USS Indianapolis.
According him, wreck of Musashi should be at 13° 07' 01" North, 122° 31' 59" East, off the Bondoc Peninsula, in 4,430 feet (1,350 m) of water. So any questions regarding diving Musashi should be forgotten :O)

hmmmm... will have to bring a pony bottle for a dive like that...

maybe doubles even...

Jag

 

[JVPIPRO]

Hey, take a look at Scubaglobe(asia pacific)Vol 4 No. 2, there's an interesting article about a dive made on the HIJMS Yamishiro sunk in the Surigao Strait during wwII, Pim Van Dem Horst, Bruce Konefe and Cedric Verdier, in 7 knot current with 5m vis and at 200 m, apparently only one of the team made it to the wreck, these are some of the conditions available to you! If you want to dive the wrecks of the battle for the Layte Gulf, Stuff of legends, Sweet dreams:14:

 

[JVPIPRO]

I go to the Philippines often, and know it pretty well, If your interested I will do some checking to see if we can find her, alas I fear she's in too deep, but I have been wrong before:11:

 

[Richard Carlton]

I go to the Philippines often, and know it pretty well, If your interested I will do some checking to see if we can find her, alas I fear she's in too deep, but I have been wrong before:11:

I hope Dr. Ballard can find the big old girl. Her and the Yamoto are beautiful creations. I am glad they didn't make it to Okinawa

 

[rickthediver]

The Musashi lies in about 1200m of water in the Sibuyan sea so well out of diving range, but still in sub range. Those crew that survived the sinking went to Corregidor to man the big guns there - most died when the island was recaptured in 1945.

Of other wrecks in the Philippines

Heavy cruiser Kumano - salvaged after the war
Light crusier Nachi- demolished to clear shipping channel in Manila Bay
Carriers Saint Lo, Gambier Bay, Princeton - all deeper than 2000m
Yamashiro - yet to be dived - 195m+ Surigao strait

Had an interesting chat with a Navy diver posted to Subic Bay in 1950. He spent three years helping to clear wrecks from Manila bay. In that time they cleared 625 wrecks, with about 75 left for scrapping when he was posted back to the USA.

 

[Centrals]

Rob Lalumiere probably has all the co-ordinates of all those USS and IJN wrecks around Ormoc Bay. All of them(destroyer) are deeper than 150m except IJN Kuwa(110m).
Ormoc bay is littered with war-wrecks but the depth is the challenge.